1. Field of the Invention
A container and dispensing package for foodstuffs and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cartons of the general type described hereinafter have been on the market for years, usually used to contain four or more bars of individually wrapped butter. After the carton is opened, the bars of butter are removed by reaching therein and picking them up. The consumer or user is then faced with the messy task of removing the wrapper from around the bar of butter so that it can be used. This is unsanitary as well as time consuming in that it is likely that the user's hands will come in contact with the bar of butter during the unwrapping process. The expandable tray of the present invention provides a means of containing and exceptionally rapid dispensing of cube sticks of foodstuffs such as butter without being touched by human hands.
Moreover, packages have been developed with compartments which slide in and out of the container. Unfortunately the sides of the compartments are generally rigid and do not allow easy removal of unwrapped bars of butter. Neither do these compartments contain any type of retainer means to separate the top of the contents from the top of the carton so as to prevent the compartments with their contents from tumbling out of the carton.
The following patents were cited in applicant's co-pending patent application, Ser. No. 730,846 U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,119,019; 2,474,166; 3,550,809; 3,613,143; Fed. Rep. of Germany Pat. No. 593,522 and United Kingdom Pat. No. 916,012.